Photo: Getty Images
When Billie Joe Armstrong isn't writing rock hits with Green Day, he's covering rock hits with his side project The Coverups. The band played an intimate show in London Tuesday night (February 27), and surprised the crowd with an appearance by Courtney Love.
After playing songs from icons like Ramones, The Pretenders, Sex Pistols, Bryan Adams, The Clash and David Bowie, Armstrong introduced the former Hole front woman to the stage. “Thank you, Billie Joe," she said, grabbing the mic. "My name is Courtney Love – you may not remember me. I’ve been living in a cave in Birmingham for about nine years. We’ll give this a f**king try, right?”
Together, they performed Cheap Trick's "He's a Whore" and Tom Petty's "Even the Losers." Love came out again later in the set to help the band play Cheap Trick's "Surrender." When she left the stage for the evening, Love told the crowd: “Later… I’ll be back in Hole.”
“I told you it was going to be a special night,” Armstrong said later. “Thank you Courtney, we need you.”
In October Love teased a new solo album; however, hasn't given any updates since then. Her debut solo album, America's Sweetheart, came out in 2004.
Watch fan-shot footage and check out The Coverups' full setlist below.
The Coverups 2/27/24 Setlist
‘A Million Miles Away’ (The Plimsouls cover)
‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ (Ramones cover)
‘Ready Steady Go’ (Generation X cover)
‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
‘Message of Love’ (Pretenders cover)
‘Summer of ’69’ (Bryan Adams cover)
‘Walking Out on Love’ (Paul Collins Beat cover)
‘I Fought the Law’ (The Crickets cover)
‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’ (Buzzcocks cover)
‘I’m So Bored With the U.S.A.’ (The Clash cover)
‘Ziggy Stardust’ (David Bowie cover)
‘Dancing With Myself’ (Generation X cover)
‘He’s a Whore’ (Cheap Trick cover – with Courtney Love)
‘Even the Losers’ (Tom Petty cover – with Courtney Love)
‘Neat Neat Neat’ (The Damned cover)
‘Drain You’ (Nirvana cover)
‘Last Nite’ (The Strokes cover)
‘American Girl’ (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
‘Love is for Losers’ (The Longshot)
‘Fox on the Run’ (Sweet cover)
‘Rockaway Beach’ (Ramones cover)
‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ (The Clash cover)
‘Surrender’ (Cheap Trick cover – with Courtney Love)
Encore:
‘Where Eagles Dare’ (Misfits cover)